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Abstract:

A method for providing an operational context-based desktop environment
for a physical system. The method includes displaying a desktop
comprising a plurality of regions, each of the plurality of regions
representing a different operational context of the physical system, and
wherein the plurality of regions include visual indicia corresponding to
their operational context, visual indicia of one or more active graphical
user interfaces corresponding to the operational context and visual
indicia of dynamic operational data corresponding to the operational
context. The method further includes enlarging the active graphical user
interfaces corresponding to the operational context of the region,
responsive to user activation of a first region. The plurality of regions
can be arranged according to a physical layout of the physical system or
as a flow sheet reflecting an order of process steps for a process run by
the physical system.

Claims:

1. A method for providing an operational context-based desktop
environment for a physical system, comprising: displaying a desktop
comprising a plurality of regions, each of the plurality of regions
representing a different operational context of the physical system,
wherein the plurality of regions include: visual indicia corresponding to
their operational context, visual indicia of one or more active graphical
user interfaces corresponding to the operational context, and visual
indicia of dynamic operational data corresponding to the operational
context, and responsive to user activation of a first region selected
from the plurality of regions, enlarging the active graphical user
interfaces corresponding to the operational context of the first region.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: responsive to a subsequent
user activation of the first region, downsizing the active graphical user
interfaces corresponding to the operational context of the first region.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual indicia corresponding to the
operational context of the plurality of regions comprises at least one of
text and an image.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the visual indicia of one or more
active graphical user interfaces corresponding to the operational context
comprises at least one of text and an image.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the visual indicia of one or more
active graphical user interfaces corresponding to the operational context
comprises a thumbnail image of the one or more active graphical user
interfaces.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of regions are arranged
according to a physical layout of the physical system or as a flow sheet
reflecting an order of process steps for a process run by the physical
system.

8. A control system, comprising: a virtual desktop environment including
a display configured for displaying a desktop comprising a plurality of
regions, each of the plurality of region representing a different
operational context of a physical system, wherein the plurality of
regions include: visual indicia corresponding to their operational
context, visual indicia of one or more active graphical user interfaces
corresponding to the operational context, and visual indicia of dynamic
operational data corresponding to the operational context; a
non-transitory machine readable storage media for storing dynamic
operational data from the physical system, and a processor communicably
coupled to said machine readable storage media and to a plurality of
devices associated with the physical system, wherein responsive to a
user' activation of a first region selected from the plurality of
regions, the processor enlarging the active graphical user interfaces
corresponding to the operational context of the first region.

9. The control system of claim 8, wherein the non-transitory machine
readable storage comprises a Structured Query Language (SQL) database
stored in a SQL server.

10. The control system of claim 8, wherein the step of enlarging the
active graphical user interfaces further comprises initiating the active
graphical user interfaces to accept user input.

11. The control system of claim 10, further comprising: responsive to a
second user activation of the region, downsizing the active graphical
user interfaces corresponding to the operational context of the first
region.

12. The control system of claim 8, wherein the visual indicia
corresponding to the operational context of the first region comprises at
least one of text and an image.

13. The control system of claim 12, wherein the visual indicia of one or
more active graphical user interfaces corresponding to the operational
context comprises at least one of text and an image.

14. The control system of claim 12, wherein the visual indicia of one or
more active graphical user interfaces corresponding to the operational
context comprises a thumbnail image of the one or more active graphical
user interfaces.

15. The control system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of regions are
arranged according to a physical layout of the physical system or as a
flow sheet reflecting an order of process steps for a process run by the
physical system.

16. Machine readable storage, comprising: a non-transitory machine
readable storage media having code stored therein, said code including
executable instructions, which, when executed by a computing device,
cause the computing device to implement an operational context-based
desktop environment for a physical system, said code including: code for
displaying a plurality of regions on a display, each of the plurality of
regions representing a different operational context of the physical
system, wherein the plurality of region include: visual indicia
corresponding to their operational context, visual indicia of one or more
active graphical user interfaces corresponding to the operational
context; and visual indicia of dynamic operational data corresponding to
the operational context; and responsive to user activation of a first
region selected from the plurality of regions, code for enlarging the
active graphical user interfaces corresponding to the operational context
of the first region.

17. The machine readable storage of claim 16, further comprising code for
displaying a portion of the desktop including one or more regions that
are different from the plurality of regions, responsive to a panning
command from a user.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising:
responsive to a second user activation of the region, code for downsizing
the active graphical user interfaces corresponding to the operational
context of the region.

20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the code for
displaying a plurality of regions arranges the plurality of regions
according to a physical layout of the physical system or as a flow sheet
reflecting an order of process steps for a process run by the physical
system.

Description:

FIELD

[0001] Disclosed embodiments relate to the field of virtual desktop
environments, and more particularly to virtual desktop environments for
controlling physical systems including physical processes.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Physical systems involve at least the transport of a tangible (i.e.
real) product, while physical processes further involve the manufacture
of a tangible product from one or more materials. The physical system may
be a large geographically dispersed system (e.g., a gas pipeline) or
complex multi-step process (e.g., for a large oil refinery). Physical
systems may be contrasted with virtual systems which lack association
with movement or processing of any tangible (i.e. real) materials.

[0003] The physical system may comprise a process automation system which
refers to a monitoring and control system, usually of an industrial
system running a set of industrial processes that generate a physical
(tangible) product, in which a distributed control system (DCS) may
utilize controller elements to monitor and control the industrial
processes. With regard to monitoring, the industrial processes generate
process data (e.g., temperatures, pressures) that is transmitted to the
DCS, often in real time. The DCS subsequently displays the process data
for human operators that monitor and control the industrial process via
graphical user interfaces displayed in a console. The components of the
process automation system may be connected by a process control
communications network.

[0004] The control including operation and management of physical systems
including industrial processes often involves the use of a large number
of software applications that collectively provide information from a
wide variety of different sources. The particular software applications
used and the information viewed in those software applications at any
given time depend on the current operational focus, which can change from
moment to moment. For example, at one moment, the operator may desire to
view data pertaining to a particular electrical system while at another
moment the operator may desire to view locations within an industrial
plant. Thus, the operator's focus may change according to the operational
context of the information he or she desires to monitor and control.

[0005] A known data selection approach involves having the operator locate
and open software applications that pertain to the operational context he
or she desires. The time required for the operator to find and open the
relevant software applications and navigate to the desired data can be a
substantial impediment to efficiently dealing with urgent situations or
crises as they may arise. Additionally, when the operator's focus shifts
temporarily from a first operational context to a new operational
context, the operator may need to shut down the first set of software
applications pertaining to the first operational context and locate and
open a second set of software applications pertaining to the second
operational context. When the operator's focus then changes back to the
first operational context, he or she must perform a reverse procedure.
Such operational context switching can be tedious and time consuming.
Therefore, there is a need for a more efficient method and system for
controlling physical systems.

SUMMARY

[0006] Disclosed embodiments include a method for providing an operational
context-based desktop environment for a physical system. The method
includes displaying a desktop comprising a plurality of regions,
including a plurality of different operational contexts for the system.
Each region includes visual indicia corresponding to the operational
context of the region, visual indicia of one or more active graphical
user interfaces (GUIs) corresponding to the operational context of the
region, and visual indicia of dynamic operational data corresponding to
the operational context of the region. The method can further include
enlarging the active GUIs corresponding to the operational context of a
region, responsive to user activation of the region.

[0007] As used herein, "operational context" refers to a concept that can
be used to relate data or facts that surround a particular location in
the physical system, or a process step, element, event, situation,
sub-system or sub-process of the physical system being controlled. For
example, the operational context "Compressor Station 1" can be used
relate facts and data that surround a particular compressor station on a
gas pipeline. Further, the terms "process event data" or "process data"
refer to data, such as log messages, incident data, sensor data or the
like, originating from physical processes. Process data may include a
scalar or array value, a date/time stamp, an error message or other data
surrounding the process being monitored. Process event data may be in the
form of a text message, image, audio or video. In addition, as used
herein "dynamic operational data" refers to process data or process event
data obtained from the physical system, typically physical parameter data
from a sensor that represents the current state of a process, such as a
pressure reading from a valve or a temperature reading from a
thermocouple. The dynamic operational data is updated as the state of the
process changes, thereby providing an indication of how the process
changes over time.

[0008] Further disclosed embodiments include a process automation system
comprising an operational context-based desktop environment. The process
automation system comprises a display configured for displaying a desktop
comprising a plurality of regions, wherein each region corresponds to an
operational context of the process automation system. Each region
includes visual indicia corresponding to the operational context of the
region, visual indicia of one or more active graphical user interfaces
corresponding to the operational context of the region, and visual
indicia of dynamic operational data corresponding to the operational
context of the region. The process automation system can further comprise
a processor configured for controlling one or more physical processes,
and, responsive to user activation of a region, enlarging the active
graphical user interfaces corresponding to the operational context of the
region. The process automation system can further comprise memory
comprising non-transitory machine readable storage for storing the
dynamic operational data from the physical processes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example control system including a
distributed control system (DCS) employing an operational context-based
desktop environment, according to an example embodiment.

[0010] FIG. 2 depicts an operational context-based desktop environment for
a control system, according to an example embodiment.

[0011] FIG. 3 depicts a second portion of the operational context-based
desktop environment of FIG. 1.

[0013] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating the control flow of an example
method for providing an operational context-based desktop environment for
a physical system, according to an example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Disclosed embodiments are described with reference to the attached
figures, wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the figures
to designate similar or equivalent elements. The figures are not drawn to
scale and they are provided merely to illustrate certain disclosed
aspects. Several disclosed aspects are described below with reference to
example applications for illustration. It should be understood that
numerous specific details, relationships, and methods are set forth to
provide a full understanding of the disclosed embodiments. One having
ordinary skill in the relevant art, however, will readily recognize that
the subject matter disclosed herein can be practiced without one or more
of the specific details or with other methods. In other instances,
well-known structures or operations are not shown in detail to avoid
obscuring certain aspects. This Disclosure is not limited by the
illustrated ordering of acts or events, as some acts may occur in
different orders and/or concurrently with other acts or events.
Furthermore, not all illustrated acts or events are required to implement
a methodology in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0015] Disclosed embodiments include control systems which provide an
operational context-based desktop environment to control physical
systems. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a controlled physical system 100
including a disclosed control system 105 comprising a distributed control
system (DCS) 102 employing an operational context-based desktop
environment displayed on a display 116, according to an example
embodiment.

[0016] DCS 102 is communicably connected via a process control network 150
to industrial processes 109, 119 and 129, which represent physical
processes performed by a physical system. The DCS 102 includes at least
one processor 104, at least one memory 106 providing non-transitory
machine readable data storage to the processor 104, and one or more
controllers 108 that provide control signals for controlling the
industrial processes 109, 119 and 129. Furthermore, DCS 102 is associated
with display 116, to which the DCS 102 sends data (e.g., process data
and/or dynamic operational data) about the industrial processes 109, 119
and 129 it monitors and controls. The display 116 displays information in
an operational context-based desktop environment for viewing by a human
operator 118 as described more fully below.

[0017] Recall the terms "process event data" or "process data" as used
herein refer to data originating from physical processes, such as
industrial processes 109, 119 and 129. Also note that the controlled
physical system 100 depicted in FIG. 1 supports any number of DCSs, any
number of processors 104 and controllers 108 within the DCS 102, any
number of displays 116 associated with the DCS 102, and any number of
industrial processes associated with the DCS 102.

[0018] The processor 104 is configured to receive process data and/or
dynamic operational data from the plurality of industrial process 109,
119 and 129 and store the processed data in memory 106, and in another
memory provided by non-transitory machine readable storage media 165
which includes a stored database 160, such as a relational database. A
relational database as used herein is a database that matches data by
using common characteristics found within the data set, and the resulting
groups of data are organized for ease of understanding. Such a grouping
uses the relational model. Accordingly such a database is called a
"relational database." The software used to do this grouping is generally
called a relational database management system (RDBMS). The database 160
may comprise a Structured Query Language (SQL) database stored in a SQL
server. SQL can be employed to access data, and also to define the form
of the database, i.e., describe the tables, and describe indexes and
views of the tables and other objects of the database. SQL is a high
level programming language specifically designed for the database
product.

[0019] Display 116 may comprise a graphical display, or an area of a
graphical display, in a physical monitor, viewing screen, flat panel
display, touch screen or the like. The display 116 may generate graphical
user interfaces (GUIs) and other visual indicia that display process data
garnered from the industrial processes of controlled system 100 for
viewing by human operator 118. The display 116 may be provided by a
computer system having a processor, and user input devices, such as a
keyboard, mouse, touch screen and/or a microphone.

[0020] A desktop environment commonly refers to a particular
implementation of GUI derived from the desktop metaphor that is seen on
most modern personal computers. A desktop environment allows users to
easily access, configure, and modify important and frequently accessed
specific operating system features. A desktop environment typically
consists of icons, windows, toolbars, folders, wallpapers and desktop
widgets or applications. A desktop refers to a particular instance of a
desktop environment graphical user interface window.

[0021] FIG. 2 depicts an operational context-based desktop environment 200
or a portion thereof (hereafter desktop 200), such as for the display 116
shown in control system 105, according to an example embodiment. Desktop
200 is viewable in an area 250 of the display 116, otherwise known as a
viewable area 250. The desktop 200 comprises one or more regions 202, 210
and 220, that each define a section of the desktop 200. A region may also
be defined as one or more GUI images, icons or widgets. Each region
corresponds to an operational context of the controlled physical system
100. As defined above, an operational context refers to a set of related
circumstances, data or facts that surround a particular location,
process, element, event, situation, sub-system or sub-process of the
physical system being controlled. An example of an operational context is
a particular location or area of the physical system, wherein an operator
118 may desire to view all process data that relates to a particular
location of an industrial process or system.

[0022] Each region 202, 210, 220 of the desktop 200 includes visual
indicia corresponding to the operational context of the region, visual
indicia of one or more active GUIs corresponding to the operational
context of the region and visual indicia of dynamic operational data
corresponding to the operational context of the region. Thus, region 202,
for example, includes visual indicia 204 corresponding to the electrical
operational context of the region, visual indicia 206 of two active GUIs
corresponding to the electrical operational context and visual indicia
208 of dynamic operational data and/or process data corresponding to the
electrical operational context. Likewise, region 210 includes visual
indicia 214 corresponding to the exhaust operational context, visual
indicia 216 of two active GUIs corresponding to the exhaust operational
context and visual indicia 218 of dynamic operational data corresponding
to the exhaust operational context. Lastly, region 220 includes visual
indicia 224 corresponding to the climate control operational context,
visual indicia 226 of two active GUIs corresponding to the climate
control operational context and visual indicia 228 of dynamic operational
data corresponding to the climate control operational context.

[0023] The visual indicia 204, 214 and 224 corresponding to the
operational context of their region, such as 202, 210 and 220, may
comprise text, an image, video or a combination thereof. The visual
indicia 204, 214 and 224 corresponding to the operational context of a
region may comprises any information that quickly conveys to an operator
118, in a visual, manner, the operational context of the information in
the region.

[0024] The visual indicia 206, 216, 226 of one or more active GUIs
corresponding to the operational context of a region, such as 204, 214
and 224, may comprise text, an image, a thumbnail of the active GUIs,
video or a combination thereof. The visual indicia 206, 216, 226 of
active GUIs may comprises any information that quickly conveys to an
operator 118, in a visual, manner, the identity, and/or information
present within, each GUI that is currently active with regard to a
particular operational context.

[0025] A GUI or application window refers to a visual area, usually having
a rectangular shape, which can overlap with the area of other GUIs or
application windows. A GUI or application window displays output from,
and may allow input to, one or more computer programs or processes of the
DCS 102. A GUI or application window may also display out from, and allow
input to, computer programs or processes executing apart from the DCS
102. An active GUI or application window refers to a GUI or application
window for a computer program or process that is currently being executed
by a processor, such as processor 104. The visual indicia 206, 216 and
226 of one or more active GUI may display output from the processes 109,
119, 129, and may allow input to controller 108 for controlling processes
109, 119, 129.

[0026] Lastly, visual indicia of dynamic operational data corresponding to
the operational context of the region, such as indicia 208, 218 and 228,
may comprise text, an image, video or a combination thereof. Dynamic
operational data refers to data from the physical system, typically from
a sensor, that may be periodically updated by DCS 102, such as a pressure
reading from a valve or a temperature reading from a thermocouple. In
FIG. 2, the indicia 208, 218 and 228 depict a generic image representing
a measuring device, or meter, which may display dynamic operational data
that is received by processor 104 and stored in memory 106.

[0027] Note that although FIG. 2 shows only a given number of elements,
disclosed desktops support any number of regions, visual indicia
corresponding to operational context, visual indicia of one or more
active graphical user interfaces and visual indicia of dynamic
operational data.

[0028] In one embodiment, the arrangement of the various regions 202, 210,
220 in relation to one another in the desktop 200 corresponds to a
process map of an actual physical process, such as in the case of a
processing system. A process map is a visual representation of a series
of processes that are illustrated so as to show the sequential nature of
the processes. In this embodiment, regions adjacent to one another in the
desktop 200 correspond to processes that may occur sequentially in a
process map. For example, the operational context of region 210 may
represent one or more processes that occur sequentially after the one or
more processes represented by the operational context of region 202.
Thus, region 210 is displayed to the right of region 202, so as to
indicate that the processes of region 210 occur after the processes of
region 202.

[0029] Arranging regions on the desktop 200 according to the physical
layout of the plant or the order of process or manufacturing steps, such
as a flow sheet reflecting an order of process steps for a process run by
the physical system, can make it significantly easier for the operator to
navigate through the various regions 202, 210, 220 based on their
knowledge of plant layout or manufacturing processes. This advantage is a
reason disclosed desktops such as desktop 200 are configured as a large
continuous space as opposed to a plurality of discrete desktops. The
layout of various regions 202, 210, 220 regions in this embodiment is
meaningful as it is a significant aid to facilitate finding information
and switching contexts.

[0030] In another embodiment, the arrangement of the various regions 202,
210, 220 in relation to one another in the desktop 200 corresponds to
actual physical locations/areas relative to one another in a physical
system that is dispersed over an area, such as a gas line network
dispersed over geographic regions. In this embodiment, regions adjacent
to one another in the desktop 200 correspond to systems or equipment that
are located physically adjacent to one another in a location map, which
is a visual representation of systems and equipment that are illustrated
so as to show their physical locations. For example, the operational
context of region 302 may represent equipment that is located physically
adjacent the equipment represented by the operational context of region
310. Therefore, region 302 is displayed adjacent to region 310, so as to
indicate that the equipment of region 302 is physically adjacent to the
equipment of region 310. Arranging regions in this way on the desktop 200
makes it easier for the operator 118 to navigate to a required region
based on the operator's knowledge of the sequential order of production
processes and/or the physical layout of a process plant.

[0031] An operator 118 may interact with the desktop 200 using a
conventional pointer or mouse cursor, which is a graphical image that
echoes movements of a pointing device, such as a mouse, a touchpad or a
touch screen. The pointer 260 can be used to select and move, such as via
the conventional drag and drop method, other graphical user interface
elements. FIG. 2 shows a pointer 260 appearing as an angled arrow.
However, the image of the pointer 260 may vary. In one embodiment, the
pointer 260 may appear in a clear focus state, wherein the pointer 260
appears solely when the pointing device is touched or moved by the
operator 118.

[0032] In one embodiment, the viewable area 250 displays only a portion of
the data or images of desktop 200. In this embodiment, the desktop 200
may be panned such that the viewable area 250 of the desktop 200 changes.
The operator 118 may click on the desktop 200 using the pointer 260 and
use the drag and drop method to move the viewable area 250 of the desktop
200 and thereby view additional graphical elements, such as additional
regions, not found in viewable area 250. In this embodiment, the
processor 104 reads panning commands or panning input from the operator
118, such as via pointer 260, and thereby moves the viewable area 250 of
the desktop 200 to a new viewable area defined by the user's commands or
input.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a second portion of the desktop 200 referred to as
viewable area 350 that includes regions not shown in viewable area 250.
Viewable area 350 includes region 302, which comprises visual indicia 304
corresponding to a pressure operational context of the process automation
system 100, visual indicia 306 of one or more active GUIs corresponding
to the pressure system operational context and visual indicia 308 of
dynamic operational data corresponding to the pressure operational
context. Viewable area 350 also includes region 310, which comprises
visual indicia 314 corresponding to the barometric operational context,
visual indicia 316 of one or more active GUIs corresponding to the
barometric operational context and visual indicia 318 of dynamic
operational data corresponding to the barometric operational context.

[0034] In one embodiment, the operator 118 may activate a region, such as
region 302, by positioning the pointer 260 over the region 302 (or a
portion thereof) and clicking a mouse or tapping a touch screen. In
response to the aforementioned user activation of region 302, the
processor 104 of DCS 102 may enlarge or maximize the visual indicia 306
of active GUIs of the region. A user activation may also be accomplished
using other user input instructions, such as hovering the pointer 260
over the region 302, passing the pointer 260 over the region 302,
clicking on another widget, issuing a voice command or performing a
gesture.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged set of active GUIs 402, 404 in response to
the aforementioned user activation. Upon enlarging or maximizing the
active GUIs 402, 404, the processor 104 of DCS 102 may also initiate the
active GUIs 402, 404 to accept user input. Alternatively, the processor
104 of DCS 102 may initiate the active GUIs 402, 404, to accept user
input in response to an additional user activation event. Subsequently,
the operator 118 may interact with the active GUIs 402, 404, which may
function to monitor, control to modify the processes 109, 119 and 129.
Specifically, operator 118 may input data into, and receive data (such as
process data) from, the active GUIs 402, 404. Further, the operator 118
may use conventional GUI commands to open, close, minimize, maximize,
move, or resize the active GUIs 402, 404. FIG. 4 further shows that
processor 104 of DCS 102 has also enlarged or maximized in visual size
the visual indicia 304 and the visual indicia 308.

[0036] In one embodiment, the operator 118 may activate the region 302 a
second time, in an identical or similar fashion to the first user'
activation. In response to the aforementioned user activation of region
302, the processor 104 of DCS 102 may downsize or minimize the active
visual indicia 306 of active GUIs of the region, returning the appearance
of desktop 200 to that shown in FIG. 3.

[0037] The desktop 200 improves over known desktops by providing a
computing environment in which active GUIs are opened and managed in a
desktop that categorizes the GUIs by operational context. The desktop 200
may comprise a continuous space through which an operator 118 can easily
navigate with conventional GUI commands among the various operational
contexts of interest. GUIs are opened and can remain active on the
desktop 200, though minimized and visually categorized by operational
context for easy lookup by the user. The operator 118 may easily view the
desktop 200 and quickly ascertain the operational context of each region
in the viewable area (i.e., indicia 208, 218, 228), the active graphical
user interfaces in each region (i.e., indicia 206, 216, 226) and selected
dynamic operational data (i.e., 208, 218, 228).

[0038] Further, desktop 200 allows a user to quickly maximize and minimize
active GUIs in each region, while keeping the interfaces active. This
allows an operator 118 to navigate to a different operational context in
order to use active GUI, or open new GUIs, relevant to the operational
context. Subsequently, the operator 118 can easily navigate back to the
original operational context and the active GUI associated with the
original operational context.

[0039] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating the control flow of an example
method 500 for providing an operational context-based desktop environment
for a physical system, such as process automation system 100, according
to an example embodiment. In a first step 502, the processor 104 of DCS
102 displays the desktop 200, such as that shown in FIG. 2, including the
viewable area 250. In an optional step before step 502, the operator 118
may input data into DCS 102 defining one or more operational contexts,
one or more regions, one or more visual indicia corresponding to
operational context for each region, one or more active GUIs and one or
more visual indicia of dynamic operational data. The data input by
operator 118 may be stored in storage 165 and may be accessed by
processor 104 of DCS 102 when displaying the desktop 200 in step 502.

[0040] In step 504, the operator 118 may use the pointer 260 to pan or
move the viewable area 250 of the desktop 200 and thereby view new
viewable area 350 of the desktop 200, as defined by the user's commands
or input. In step 506, the operator 118 may activate a region, such as
region 302, using the pointer 260. In step 508, in response to the
aforementioned user activation of region 302, the processor 104 of DCS
102 may enlarge or maximize the active visual indicia 306 of active GUIs
of the region, resulting in the display of active GUIs 402, 404. In step
510, the processor 104 of DCS 102 may also initiate the active GUIs 402,
404 to accept user input.

[0041] In step 512, the operator 118 may interact with the active
graphical user interfaces 402, 404, such as inputting data into, and
receiving data from, the active GUIs 402, 404. In step 514, the operator
118 may activate the region 302 a second time, similar to the first user
activation. In step 516, in response to the aforementioned user
activation of region 302, the processor 104 of DCS 102 may downsize or
minimize the active visual indicia 306 of active GUIs of the region,
returning the appearance of desktop 200 to that shown in FIG. 3.
Subsequently, control flows back to step 502.

[0042] While various disclosed embodiments have been described above, it
should be understood that they have been presented by way of example
only, and not limitation. Numerous changes to the subject matter
disclosed herein can be made in accordance with this Disclosure without
departing from the spirit or scope of this Disclosure. In addition, while
a particular feature may have been disclosed with respect to only one of
several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more
other features of the other implementations as may be desired and
advantageous for any given or particular application.

[0043] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used
herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include
the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
Furthermore, to the extent that the terms "including," "includes,"
"having," "has," "with," or variants thereof are used in either the
detailed description and/or the claims, such terms are intended to be
inclusive in a manner similar to the term "comprising."

[0044] As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the subject
matter disclosed herein may be embodied as a system, method or computer
program product. Accordingly, this Disclosure can take the form of an
entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including
firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining
software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to
herein as a "circuit," "module" or "system." Furthermore, this Disclosure
may take the form of a computer program product embodied in any tangible
medium of expression having computer usable program code embodied in the
medium.

[0045] Any combination of one or more computer usable or computer readable
medium(s) may be utilized as the non-transitory machine readable storage
media. The computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be, for
example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical,
electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device.
More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer-readable
medium would include non-transitory media including the following: an
electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer
diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory
(ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory),
a portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM), an optical storage
device, or a magnetic storage device.

[0046] Computer program code for carrying out operations of the disclosure
may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages,
including an object-oriented programming language such as Java,
Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional procedural programming
languages, such as the "C" programming language or similar programming
languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer,
partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly
on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the
remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer
may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network,
including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the
connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the
Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

[0047] The Disclosure is described below with reference to flowchart
illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and
computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It
will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or
block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations
and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program
instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a
processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or
other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such
that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or
other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for
implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block
diagram block or blocks.

[0048] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a
physical computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or
other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular
manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium
produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which
implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block
diagram block or blocks.

[0049] The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a
computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a
series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other
programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such
that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable
apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions/acts specified
in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.